Modern security vehicles, such as police squad cars, are equipped with a substantial array of electronic and safety equipment, including, radios, sirens, scanners, computers, printers, lighting units, control panels, electronics readouts, cellular phones, equipment compartments, weapon racks, officer protection barrier, and various other accessories. While many of these devices are mounted on or associated with the vehicle frame or dashboard, additional steel brackets, posts, flanges and adapters are employed for mounting of such equipment. However, such additional mounting hardware can present safety issues by creating sharp edges, irregular protrusions, and otherwise dangerous surfaces. In addition to the foregoing, many of these devices require running of wiring harnesses for delivery of power and for communication purposes, usually between hardware mounted in the trunk and the dashboard and front overhead areas.
In a police vehicle, the officer protection barrier protects the front seat occupants from contact with passengers in the rear seat. This requires a weapon-impermeable structure which does not unduly impair drive visibility and yet is safe for the contained passengers. However, there is still the risk that weapons and other contraband may be hidden by a passenger under the vehicle rear seat, and typically the vehicle rear seat must be lifted and removed in order to check for such stowage after apprehended passengers have been removed from the police vehicle. Still furthermore, the seat may also have to be remove.,so that it and the rear seat area can be cleansed for sanitary reasons.
In many instances the constant removal of the rear seat injures the rear seat belt harness integrity, and typically the seat belt will fall behind the seat cushion beyond the reach of the passenger. Such vehicle usage can result in violation of various federal and state safety standards.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a security vehicle which has high front and rear seat occupant safety and yet is safe for the officers in the front seat, has superior communications and other systems capability, and yet accommodates present day safety features, including dashboard driver and passenger side airbags.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simplified method and apparatus for mounting of security accessories within a motor vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a customized workspace in a security vehicle which facilitates receipt of a wide variety of various electronic equipment but does not limit the function of driver-side and passenger-side airbags or interfere with other vehicular safety features such as seat belts and seat belt mounting structures and assemblies.